523tfall15syllabus(2)

GSBA 523T-Communication for Accounting Professionals Fall 2015

GSBA 523T: COMMUNICATION FOR ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONALSA Class in Leadership Communication

Fall 2015 Course Syllabus

Professor: Kirk Snyder

Office: ACC 215F

Phone: 213-740-0500949-633-0778 Cell/Text

E-mail: [email protected]

Office Hours: T/TH 2-3:30Also via Skype Appointments

Required Texts: Leadership Communication, 4th EditionBarrett, DeborahMcGraw Hill 2011; ISBN: 13 9780073377773

DriveDaniel Pink

The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership FableLencioni, PatrickISBN: 978-0-787-96075-9

Recommended: The Business Writer’s Handbook Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu—8th or Higher Edition

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The official name of this course is “Communication for Accounting Professionals.” This class meets the communication requirement of the Master of Accounting and Business Taxation degrees.

The overall objective of this course is to help you develop as a professional by improving your ability to work with, communicate with, manage, and lead others—regardless of your position in an organization.

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Successful completion of this course will benefit you throughout your life in business and personal situations as you leverage your communication skills to achieve your goals. Following are the four major content areas of the course:

1. Interpersonal Communication2. Professional Business Speaking3. Professional Business Writing4. Team Projects and Leadership

Each student has unique communication strengths to build upon in each of these four areas as well improve upon any weaknesses. Working together, it is possible to make progress as an effective communicator both professionally and personally.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Attached to this syllabus are the five Student Learning Outcomes developed for this program by the USC Leventhal faculty and administration and filed with the AACSB, the accrediting body for the USC Leventhal School of Accounting. This course will deal primarily with Outcome #2—the Professional Development Requirement, which states:

“Students will be able to communicate clearly, and strategically, after considering the relevant audience, situation, and purpose of the communication. Students will develop the ability to work productively with others to accomplish established goals.”

To a lesser extent, this course will touch on two of the other learning outcomes: Ethical Principles and Professional Standards Requirement; and Globalization and Diversity. The content areas and specific learning objectives for this course are described below.

1. Interpersonal Communication: Increase your professional presence and your ability to influence others and make a lasting, positive impression. Learn skills and techniques for making a positive first impression and building lasting business relationships. Improve listening skills and manage non-verbal communication signals. Improve your ability to conduct productive interviews. Recognize and adapt to personality and style differences. Become more confident in your ability to persuade others.

2. Business Speaking: Improve your presentation skills significantly. Apply communication theory and strategy as you organize informative and persuasive content and effectively deliver individual and team presentations to internal and external audiences. Adjust content based on audience and situation analysis. Set goals for continued improvement as you work toward becoming an “articulate executive.”

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3. Business Writing: Learn to organize information and write effectively for BUSINESS readers. Understand how to select the best medium based on the audience and your purpose. Prepare business memos that summarize technical information or communicate to a wider audience on important issues. Use format to emphasize your message and accomplish your objectives. Respect the inherent weaknesses and dangers of email. Set goals for continued improvement in business writing.

4. Team Projects and Leadership: Learn behaviors—as a team leader or member—that make teams effective and productive. Learn to define roles, establish goals, and surface and resolve conflict. Practice positive decision-making and resolving conflict within the team. Increase project management skills. In the bigger picture, this course provides an opportunity for you to cultivate professionalism and character:

Demand excellence from yourself and expect it of others. Take responsibility for your actions, interactions, and lack of action. Commit to integrity, honesty, and values-based decision making. Embrace change and learn to deal with ambiguity and uncertainty. Demonstrate humility and the ability to laugh at yourself. Celebrate diversity in people and ideas. Treat others with respect.

LEARNING APPROACH—How you will Learn

You will learn the most and develop your professional skills by continually learning about, practicing, receiving feedback, and practicing again. You would not improve by simply listening or reading about these skills. For these reasons, this class is highly participative, interactive, and experiential.

Your success depends on your active involvement in learning and upon your effort and actions designed to change your behaviors and way of thinking. I will help you by providing opportunities to experience learning and growth and by providing feedback about and encouragement toward your development. We will also help each other as you learn to deliver honest feedback and on-point encouragement to your classmates.

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EXPECTATIONS, EVALUATION AND GRADING

Expectations: Attendance, active participation, and a positive attitude are required for successful completion of this course. “Must be present to win” is true for most things in life, and particularly with skill building. Many sessions involve group activities, and I plan and organize them assuming all students will be present.

Missed classes, late arrivals, early departures, lack of communication or inappropriate behaviors or communication will reduce your performance on individual assignments and, therefore, your final course grade. Participation and Engagement in order to receive an A requires you to volunteer for in-class exercises, come to class with questions and relevant communication news items, taking the lead in the ELC, meeting with the professor for office/Skype hours, peer evaluations for the team presentation, etc.

Please notify me as far in advance as possible if you are unable to attend any class or exercise so that I may adjust the activities as necessary. Please email me immediately if you miss class for any reason. You may miss a maximum of 50 in-class activity points without a negative effect on your course grade. Partial credit for additional missed classes or activities is at my discretion and may not be possible. The midterm, team presentation, and the final exam must be completed on those dates specified.

See page 9 Summary of Assignments and Activities for assignment due dates and values. Assignment instructions will include grading criteria, and details will be discussed in class as well. Points are assigned based on performance and used to determine final grade.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Academic Standards: Academic integrity is a critical value of the University Community. Integrity violations destroy the fabric of a learning community and the spirit of inquiry that is vital to the effectiveness of the University. This course is subject to the Leventhal School of Accounting Student Honor Code and to USC Academic Integrity Standards, as detailed in SCampus. Please refer to and become familiar with these standards. I will work with you to maintain an atmosphere conducive to personal integrity, intellectual honesty, and ethical behavior. If you are aware of actual or potential academic integrity problems related to this class, please discuss them with me.

Students with Disabilities: Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations may be obtained from DSP. Please deliver the letter to me as early in the term as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 (phone 213-740-0776) and is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Professor’s Retention of Graded Papers: Returned paperwork, unclaimed by a student, may be discarded one month after the end of the class, or January 2016. Paperwork intentionally not returned to students, if any, will be retained for one year, until December 2016.

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Key Dates—Summer 2015Below are the key dates for Fall 2015 graduate classes in the Marshall and Leventhal Schools. Please see course schedule and calendar for additional information.

Classes Begin August 24 This Class Begins August 25 Labor Day Holiday September 7

Thanksgiving Holiday November 25-28Classes End December 4THIS Class Ends December 3Final Exam December 3

Emergency Information USC Emergencies 213-740-4321USC Emergency Info Line 213-740-9233USC Information 213-740-2311KUSC Radio 91.5 FM dial

Syllabus Additions The course calendar and assignment list should be considered a part of the syllabus for this course. See pages 6-9 for details.

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COURSE CALENDAR Fall 2015

Week

1 8/25

Course Introduction/Syllabus ReviewNetworking Exercise

8/27

YouSeeU Sign Ups – Bring Laptop!

How Effective Leaders Communicate: A Visual

Review of Professional Speakers

Review Diagnostic #1 Due 9/2 11;59 PM

Read for next class: Leadership Communication Ch 72 9/1 9/3

What is Leadership Communication?

Message Organization and Delivery

What are my communication strengths and weaknesses?

Prep for Diagnostic #1

In Class Diagnostic Review/Roundtable – Bring Laptop!

Read for next class:Leadership Communication: Ch 1 “What is Leadership?” CH 2 “Communication/Leadership, Purpose, Strategy and Structure Communication”

Other assignments for next class: Written Deliverable: Self-Assessment Memo

on BB (50 Points).

3 9/8 9/10

Due: Self-Assessment Memo (50 Points)

What Makes a Leader? By Daniel Goleman (posted on BB)

Introduce Presentation #1

Why Words Matter: Audience Analysis and Communication Triggers

Emotional Intelligence and You

In-Class Exercise and Feedback

Read for next class:5 Dysfunctions of A Team: 1-25Drive: Intro and Ch 1

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Week4 9/15 9/17

Reading Discussion: 5 Dysfunctions of A Team: 1-25 and Drive: Intro and Ch 1

Business Communication in 2015

Based on Corning video viewed today in class–discuss the impact of technology on communication in the workplace

Take the MBTI before next class (link on BB)

MBTI: Putting together effective messages for your audience/Self-Awareness as a communication tool

Telling The Right Story to Achieve Your Goals and Motivate Your Audience

In-Class Speaking Exercise

Read for next class:Drive: Ch. 2-3

5 9/22 9/24

Watch in Class: Dan Pink Ted Talk

Discussion: Carrots and Sticks (Drive CH’s 2 and 3)

Communication and Motivation

Review run through for next class

Read for next class:5 Dysfunctions: Part Two: Lighting the Fire

Reading Discussion: 5 Dysfunctions

Presentation Run Throughs/Roundtable Feedback

6

9/29

Individual Presentations (200 Points)

Taped in Class

10/1

Individual Presentations (200)

Taped in Class

7 10/6

ELC Experiential Exercise: Interpersonal Ethics

10/8

Introduction of Team Presentation and Interview Paper/ Team Assignments and Meetings

Read for next class:5 Dysfunctions: Part Three: Heavy Lifting

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Week8 10/13 10/15

Reading Discussion: Part Three: Heavy Lifting

Fundamentals of Persuasion

In-Class Exercise

Team Meetings

Reading for Next Class:5 Dysfunction: Part IV Traction

Reading Discussion: 5 Dysfunctions Section One: The Fable

Midterm Review

Team Meetings

9 10/20 10/22

Midterm 150 Points Fed Ex Day Part One! (see BB for details)

10 10/27 10/29

Fed Ex Day Part Two! (see BB for details for this YouSeeU Assignment) 50 Points

Interview Paper Updates: Getting Prepared for YouSeeU Briefings

Team Meetings

11 11/3 11/5

In-Class Simulation: No Prep Necessary Team Meetings/Peer and Professor Coaching

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Week12 11/10 11/12

TEAM PRESENTATIONS (200 Points)

Due: Individual Interview Paper for Team Presentations (100 Points

TEAM PRESENTATIONS (200 Points)

Due: Individual Interview Paper for Team Presentations (100 Points)

13 11/17 11/19

ELC Exercise (No Prep Necessary)

Read for next class: 5 Dysfunctions: The Model (185-220)

Reading Discussion: 5 Dysfunctions: The Model (185-220)

My Favorite Ted Talk (Student Driven

Final Exam Preview

14 11/24 11/26

TG Holiday TG Holiday

15 12/1 12/3

Course Summary of Learning

Final Exam Review

FINAL EXAM 100 Points

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DELIVERABLES SUMMARY

DATE DELIVERABLE POINTS

9/8 Self-Assessment Memo Due 50

9/29 & 10/1 Individual Presentation 200

10/20 Midterm 150

10/27 Fed Ex Day YouSeeU Briefing 50

11/10& 11/12 Team Presentation 200

Interview Paper 100

Final Exam 100

Participation/Engagement 50

TOTAL POINTS 900

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Student Learning Outcomes/USC Leventhal Masters Programs

1. Technical, Conceptual, Problem-Solving Requirement Students will be competent in and be able to apply discipline-specific knowledge and skills in the fields of accounting or taxation. This learning outcome includes the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills, as well as an understanding of the strategic role of accounting in business organizations and society.

2. Professional Development Requirement Students will be able to communicate clearly, and strategically, after considering the relevant audience, situation, and purpose of the communication. Students will develop the ability to work productively with others to accomplish established goals.

3. Research/Life-Long Learning Requirement Students will be able to use relevant research databases and academic/professional literature to gain new knowledge and analyze business situations.

4. Ethical Principles and Professional Standards Requirement Students will be able to apply ethical principles and professional standards in analyzing situations and making informed decisions.

5. Globalization RequirementStudents will be able to demonstrate an international perspective and appreciation for diversity and cultural differences, along with their significance in global business.

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